U.S. patent number 4,790,117 [Application Number 06/737,476] was granted by the patent office on 1988-12-13 for method of molding, filling and sealing a container.
Invention is credited to Gerhard Hansen.
United States Patent |
4,790,117 |
Hansen |
December 13, 1988 |
Method of molding, filling and sealing a container
Abstract
In a process for the manufacture of a filled and closed
container made of a heat-sealable plastic hose, particularly
polyethylene, in one work operation, the plastic hose is expanded
to become a container body, the body is filled and the upper part
of the container is shaped when the container is closed. So that it
will be possible to manufacture filled and closed containers with
rubber stoppers in one work operation, after the filling process
and before the closing process, the upper or head part of the
container is closed by a rubber stopper, closing off the body so
that a part of the rubber stopper projects into the part of the
plastic hose which is still to be shaped, which is then shaped to
conform to the outer circumference of the rubber stopper and, after
the shaping process, the upper part of the container is closed off
outside of the rubber stopper.
Inventors: |
Hansen; Gerhard (7166
Sulzbach-Laufen am Kocher, DE) |
Family
ID: |
6111444 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/737,476 |
Filed: |
May 24, 1985 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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509040 |
Jun 29, 1983 |
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289170 |
Aug 3, 1981 |
4425090 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Sep 19, 1980 [DE] |
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3033821 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
53/410; 264/524;
264/525; 425/524; 53/133.2; 53/140; 53/412; 53/420; 53/452;
53/558 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29C
49/4817 (20130101); B65B 3/022 (20130101); Y10S
215/901 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B29C
49/48 (20060101); B65B 3/02 (20060101); B65B
3/00 (20060101); B65B 003/02 (); B65B 043/00 ();
B65B 061/18 (); B65B 061/22 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/128,129,133,140,410,412,420,452,453,558,559 ;425/524
;264/523-525 ;215/1C,31-33 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Weaver; Sue A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Roylance, Abrams, Berdo &
Goodman
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 509,040 filed June
29, 1983, which is a division of application Ser. No. 289,170 filed
Aug. 3, 1981 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,090.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of molding, top filling, and sealing a container in an
apparatus to provide a sterile product within the sealed container
and to mold an auxiliary component as an integral part of the top
of the container, all in a continuous operation wherein the
apparatus includes:
(a) a split mold assembly having two coacting first or main mold
halves defining a first cavity for the container body, two coacting
second or upper sealing mold halves above said two first mold
halves defining a second cavity communicating with said first
cavity for receiving therein said auxiliary component and molding
it into the top of said container, and two coacting third mold
halves above said two second mold halves;
(b) a pair of vacuum operable holding jaws having an inner surface
for gripping a parison; and
(c) a blowing and filling assembly for sealingly engaging said
parison, for subsequently discharging pressurized gas into said
pairson for blow molding the container, and for subsequently
dispensing a product into the molded container;
(A) opening said first and second mold halves;
(B) extruding a parison in the form of an elongated hollow tube
vertically between said first and second mold halves to extend
below and above said first and second mold halves;
(C) gripping with said vacuum operable jaws the upper portion of
the parison by a reduced pressure effected between the outer
surface of the parison and said inner surface of said jaws to
maintain an opening in the upper portion of said parison above said
second mold halves;
(D) closing said first mold halves about said parison to confine a
portion of said parison therebetween while maintaining an opening
in the upper portion of said parison with said holding jaws;
(E) severing said parison above said holding jaws to provide a top
opening at the end of the upper portion of the severed length of
parison adapted to receive in seriatim said blowing and filling
assembly and said auxiliary component;
(F) extending said blowing and filling assembly through said top
opening at the end of the upper portion of the severed length of
parison to seal said top opening with the assembly pressing the
parison against the first mold halves;
(G) blowing gas into said parison from said blowing and filling
assembly to mold said container;
(H) venting said molding container;
(I) discharging a product into said molded container from said
blowing and filling assembly to fill said container;
(J) retracting said blowing and filling assembly from said top
opening of said parison;
(K) holding said auxiliary component at the bottom of a cylindrical
arm and positioning said auxiliary component within said parison
top opening adjacent said second mold halves;
(L) closing said second mold halves about both said auxiliary
component and the surrounding parison to compress the parison
between the exterior surfaces of the auxiliary component and the
interior surfaces of said second mold halves to hermetically seal
the formed and filled container about at least a portion of the
auxiliary component;
(M) withdrawing said cylindrical arm and closing said third mold
halves about said parison above said auxiliary component to seal
said parison so as to form a sealed cavity above said auxiliary
component and so as to form a tab extending above said cavity which
may be grasped and to which force may be subsequently applied to
break said tab providing access to said auxiliary component;
(N) forming a frangible or breakable portion in said parison
adjacent said auxiliary component for facilitating access to said
auxiliary component upon breaking said tab; and
(O) opening said mold halves to expose the formed, filled, and
hermetically sealed container with the auxiliary component
integrally molded therewith.
Description
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for producing a
container from a hose or tube of heatsealable synthetic polymeric
material such as polyethylene, the container being filled, provided
with a stopper and heat-sealed closed in one work operation, and to
a container made by the process and apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A container having a predetermined, lasting shape can be produced
using a known process and known apparatus as described in German AS
No. 2,255,869 and employing a calibration pin in the area of the
head of the container.
It is also known to produce, fill and close a container in one work
operation, using a heat-sealable plastic hose, wherein a rubber
stopper is inserted in the bottom of the container in such a way
that the stopper is surrounded by the material of the container
only on its outer circumference, leaving the outside face of the
stopper exposed, as a consequence of which the Stopper can get
dirty. The stopper is not inserted or seated in the container
tightly enough, with the result that bacteria from the outside can
grow into the container.
It is also known to produce a filled and closed container the head
of which contains an inserted rubber stopper which is closed off
completely from the outside by the container. However, that
container is made of two parts which are joined together after the
manufacture, filling and closing of the major, bulging body portion
of the container with the head which receives the rubber stopper
being welded to the closed, bulging portion of the container. In
this arrangement, even when a breakable seal is used, the closed
bulging portion of the container must be pierced by the injection
needle during use which can result in cutting out a part of the
material of the bulging portion of the container and clogging of
the injection needle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a method of forming a
filled and closed container having a rubber stopper wherein the
container is formed and closed in one work operation, and is of
seamless construction
Briefly described, the invention includes a process for the
manufacture of a filled and closed container made from a
heat-sealable hose of polymeric material such as polyethylene in a
single operation of the type wherein the hose is expanded to become
a container, the body portion of the container is filled and its
upper head portion is shaped when the container is closed,
comprising the steps of inserting a rubber stopper into the head
portion after the container portion is filled and before the head
portion thereof is closed so that the stopper closes off the
lateral section of the container and a portion of the stopper
extends into the head portion which is still to be shaped, shaping
the head portion surrounding the rubber stopper so that at least
part of the material of the head portion conforms to and encloses
the outer circumference of the stopper, and sealing the outer
portion of the head portion outside of the stopper.
In another aspect the invention comprises an improved apparatus for
forming, filling and closing a container by expanding and shaping a
heat-sealable polymeric hose, the apparatus being of the type
having a container-forming mold with split upper and lower parts,
and a mold-holding fixture for each of the upper mold parts movable
in opposite directions, the improvement comprising means movable at
least vertically to within the hose for releaseably holding a
rubber stopper; a cross slide for supporting said means for holding
said stopper for horizontal movement relative to said mold, whereby
said means for holding can be moved to a receiving position for
engaging a stopper and to a position in said hose for placing the
stopper therein.
The invention also includes a filled container made of
thermoformable polymeric material comprising a body portion, a head
portion and a stopper wherein said stopper is inserted into said
body portion in closing relationship therewith after forming and
filling said body portion, and said head portion is shaped around
the circumference of said stopper and sealed to enclose said
stopper, said container being of unitary seamless construction.
In order that the manner in which the foregoing and other objects
are attained in accordance with the invention can be understood in
detail particularly advantageous embodiments thereof will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a
part of this specification and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation, in partial section, of an
apparatus in accordance with the invention along line I--I of FIG.
2;
FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front elevation, in partial section, of a container in
accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the container of FIG. 3.
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, a portion of the
apparatus employed in accordance with the present invention is
known from, for example, the previously mentioned German AS No.
2,255,869, and includes two lower mold parts 1 and 1a which are
horizontally movable and which can be opened and closed, the mold
halves 1, 1a being supported respectively on plate-like supporting
pieces 2 and 2a which can be moved toward and away from each other
by arrangements such as piston and cylinder assemblies, not shown.
A vacuum holding fixture having portions 3, 3a is fastened to the
upper ends of both of the connecting pieces 2, 2a. Vacuum holding
fixtures 3, 3a describe a circle and extend up to each other.
Between lower mold part and vacuum holding mixture 3, is positioned
a top mold part 5 which is attached to a piston rod 4 passing
through connecting piece 2 and being connected to a piston and
cylinder arrangement, not shown, which is positioned in such a way
that mold portion 5 can be moved horizontally. Similarly, between
lower mold part 1a and vacuum holding fixture 3a, there is a top
mold part 5a which is also fastened to a piston rod 4a of a piston
and cylinder assembly, not shown.
As shown in FIG. 2, the production mold including components 1-5
and 1a-5a is used for simultaneously manufacturing two
bottle-shaped containers of the type illustrated in FIGS. 3 and
4.
A blowing and filling mandrel 6 which can be raised and lowered is
provided above the production mold and it can be located on a
special support (not shown) or on a permanent bridge 7, in the form
of a frame, to which an extruder (not shown) is also fastened.
Bridge 7 supports a piston and cylinder assembly 9 having a
vertical working axis which is supported on a transverse strut 8
with the piston rod of the piston and cylinder assembly being
attached to a vertically slideable carriage 10. Guide bars 11 which
are attached to opposite sides of strut 8, serve as guides for the
movement of carriage 10.
A further piston and cylinder assembly 12 disposed to operate in a
horizontal axis is attached to the vertically slideable carriage
10, the piston rod of assembly 12 passing through carriage 10 and
being connected to a horizontally slideable carriage 14 which is
guided by horizontally extending guide bars 13. A limiting element
15 is fastened to bridge 7 and serves to limit the extent of
downward movement of carriage 10 and works together with
horizontally slideable carriage 14 in one end position, as
illustrated, but is inactive when carriage 14 is in its other end
position.
A peg-shaped holding device 17, disposed along a vertical axis, is
attached to the horizontally slideable carriage 14, on the end
thereof opposite assembly 12, by means of a support 16, the holding
device having a central conduit which can be selectively connected
to a vacuum source, the conduit terminating in an inwardly
extending recess shaped and dimensioned to receive a portion of a
rubber stopper 18. The stopper, which is held by a collar, is
disposed in a receiving position in a hole in a delivery slide 19.
Because the production mold has two working cavities, a holding
device 17 and a delivery slide 19 with a hole therethrough to
receive a rubber stopper 18 is provided for each working
cavity.
A rectangularly shaped limiting element is fastened to support 16
between the two holding devices 17 and, when the holding devices
are moved to their operative positions in the molds, engages in
recesses 21 and 21a of lower mold parts 1, 1a and limits the
displacement movement of the top mold parts 5 and 5a toward each
other.
Delivery slide 19 can be displaced horizontally in a direction
perpendicular to the direction of movement of horizontally
slideable carriage 14 by means of a horizontally disposed piston
and cylinder assembly 22 (FIG. 2) and, as shown in FIG. 1 for
stopper 18, it has a recess for each of the two rubber stoppers
which it receives The two recesses can be delivered one after the
other under conveyor strip 23 which is supported, or forms part of,
a vibration conveyor, not shown, from which two rubber stoppers 18
are delivered to delivery slide 19 with each work operation. The
top of conveyor strip 23 is covered.
The lowered part of blowing and filling mandrel 6, vertically
slideable carriage 10, horizontally slideable carriage 14, the two
holding devices 17 and conveyor strip 23, as well as the individual
components associated with them, are located in a chamber which is
enclosed and sealed on all sides by sheet metal housing 24, the
upper part of the chamber not being visible in the drawings. Sheet
metal housing 24, as well as conveyor strip 23, can be charged with
a sterilizing agent such as super heated steam, a disinfection
liquid, sterilizing gas, or the like for initial and continuous
sterilization so that sterile filling of the container with filling
material (FIGS. 3 and 4) and the sterilization of the rubber
stoppers 18 located in strip 23 is possible.
The filled and closed container 251 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the
top part of the container having a breakable closing device 261 and
a rubber stopper 18 which is inserted in the top part, or head, of
the container entirely enclosed by material of the container 251.
The top part of the container fits against the outside of the
rubber stopper up to a middle portion which is accessible after the
breakable closing device 261 has been broken off, so that rubber
stopper 18 can be pierced directly by an injection needle or the
like.
To manufacture container 251, a parison is formed, the parison
being a length of hose of polymeric material, such as polyethylene,
which is extruded by an extruder, not shown, and grasped at its
upper end by vacuum holding fixtures 3, 3a and lower mold parts 1,
1a, and the portion of the plastic hose located in and between the
lower mold halves 1, 1a is inflated until it constitutes the
bulging portion, or body, of a container. The body of the container
is then filled with a filling material, the blowing and filling
being accomplished through mandrel 6. After the body of the
container is filled, rubber stopper 18 which is held by holding
device 17 is inserted in the upper part of the body of the
container. This is accomplished by the holding devices 17 each
receiving a rubber stopper from delivery slide 19 by lowering
carriage 10 until carriage 14 strikes the limiting element 15,
whereupon holding devices 17 are again raised. The holding devices
17 are then moved horizontally into a coaxial position with the
body of the container and with the remaining, unshaped, plastic
hose which extends upwardly from the formed body, by displacing the
horizontally slideable carriage 14. The holding devices are then
lowered until the rubber stoppers carried thereby assume the
position shown in FIG. 1 in which each stopper is in the upper part
of the completed container body. The top mold parts 5, 5a are
separated to their open positions as shown in FIG. 1 during this
portion of the operation.
Inside each of the upper mold parts 5, 5a is a mold holding fixture
25, 25a which can be displaced parallel to the axis of piston rod 4
or 4a. A spring 26 is inserted between mold holding fixture 25 and
top mold part 5, and it urges molding fixture 25 in the direction
of fixture 25a located opposite it, a spring 26a accomplishing the
same task on the other side of the top mold structure. The extent
of movement through which fixtures 25, 25a are displaced in mold
part 5 or 5a is terminated by a mechanical stop member.
After the rubber stopper 18 has been inserted in the previously
formed body portion of the container and in the as yet unshaped
portion of the plastic hose, the lop mold parts 5, 5a are moved
toward each other until they engage the limiting element 20 which
is located, as previously described, between the two holding
devices 17 which remain, at this stage, in the unformed portion of
the hose. Element 20 simultaneously catches in recesses 21, 21a of
lower mold parts 1, 1a. As a result, the running together of mold
parts 5, 5a is limited. Mold holding fixtures 25, 25a however, can
come sufficiently close to each other, that under the action of
springs 26, 26a they engage the outer circumference of the
heat-sealable plastic hose and a part of the top of the rubber
stopper which has a projection in the middle of its upper face
which remains free.
After the piston and cylinder assembly associated with rods 4, 4a
have been relieved of their load, limiting element 20 can be
removed from its position between upper mold parts 5, 5a by raising
the holding devices 17. The upper mold parts then close, and the
part of the head of container 251 having the breakable closing
device is produced by application of an external vacuum. The
containers manufacture in the two mold working cavities are ejected
by opening the upper and lower mold part 1, 1a and 5,5a and also
the vacuum holding fixtures 3, 3a, allowing the formed, filled and
sealed containers to drop out.
Although the embodiment described herein has two working cavities,
it will be apparent that any number of cavities can be used.
It will also be recognized that the mold holding fixtures 25, 25a
can be moved by means of piston and cylinder assemblies coupled
thereto, in which case springs 26, 26a can be omitted.
As will be seen, the simple manufacturing process described herein
calls for a less complicated apparatus, and consequently an
apparatus which is less susceptible to trouble. The rubber stopper
is introduced into the plastic hose in a work operation carried out
between the filling and closing of the container and, when the
container is finished, it is closed off completely from the outside
by the container material so that no subsequent contamination of
the rubber stopper can take place. When filling is carried out in a
sterile manner, the sterility of the contents of the container
continues to exist for a long time. If required, the container can
be again sterilized subsequently. If the container has a breakable
closing device providing free access to the rubber stopper, it is
not necessary to pierce the head of the container with an injection
needle.
While certain advantageous embodiments have been chosen to
illustrate the invention it will be understood by those skilled in
the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein
without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
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